Journal of medical education
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The authors in this paper report the findings of a survey of medical students at the University of California, Irvine, California College of Medicine regarding their views on the Medicare and Medicaid programs and on the problem of fraud and abuse in these government medical benefit programs. The students were asked their views on four issues: (a) the quality of various aspects of Medicare and Medicaid; (b) the seriousness and prevalence of physician fraud and abuse in the programs; (c) the punishment that should be given to violators; and (d) the causes and prevention of fraud and abuse in Medicare and Medicaid. ⋯ They favored moderate penalties for violations. Explanations offered by the students for fraud and abuse focused on physicians' attitudes and motivations as well as on the structure of the Medicare and Medicaid programs.
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A technique to teach first-year medical students to conduct brief interviews that focus on how medical illness affects the daily life of patients is described. The technique includes a conceptual model of the interview and an explicit teaching method for instructors and students. With the conceptual model, the structure, goals, and techniques of interviewing are identified, and an operational definition of empathic interviewing is provided. The teaching methods include a manual and a seminar for faculty members, a syllabus for students, workshops for students using live patient volunteers, and evaluations of the students' interviews based on the conceptual model.